After more than a year of planning and obstacles, Dallas County commissioners added domestic partner benefits for county employees.

County Judge Clay Jenkins vowed to members of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas that he would pursue a plan this year after the county budget prevented the benefits from being added last year.

For Jenkins’ continued effort and success when the benefits passed 3-2 on party lines in October, Stonewall awarded him and Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia special recognition awards at its annual holiday party Monday, Dec. 3.

When the healthcare co-op the county is a member of wouldn’t allow the county to add DP benefits, Garcia spearheaded the plan to offer them outside of the co-op.

“Judge Jenkins had said when he was elected that he would make it happen and he made sure that he put Dr. Garcia in charge of this project,” Stonewall President Omar Narvaez said. “And together they made that happen.”

Narvaez said he was proud that the passage of DP benefits made Dallas County the only county in Texas with the benefits and a fully inclusive nondiscrimination policy.

“That is history,” he said.

Jenkins took home the coveted Pink Pump Award last year for the court’s passage of the nondiscrimination policy and Parkland hospital adding DP benefits. The court appoints members to Parkland’s board.

This year, the bedazzled Pink Pump went to Mary Clare Fabishak for her outspokenness on LGBT rights during her run for state representative for House District 115.

PUMPED UP | Erin Moore, who received a distinguished service award, holds the Pink Pump Award, which went to Mary Clare Fabishak. (Anna Waugh/Dallas Voice)

Fabishak said she was honored by the award. She joined Stonewall in January while she was a candidate and said that the group helped her become a stronger, more educated ally.

“I was stunned because I grew into all my knowledge of Stonewall,” she said. “I was supportive of gay issues, but I learned so much more about the issues coming to Stonewall meetings. I just think all the issues are civil rights issues.”

Stonewall Vice President Michael Wetter called Fabishak’s work “nothing short of amazing for our visibility.”

Longtime lesbian activist and former Dallas Stonewall President Erin Moore was recognized with a distinguished service award. Moore serves as co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats Leadership Council and was a member of the national Platform Committee that added marriage equality to the platform.

“She has been on the forefront of bringing equality issues up to the table,” Narvaez said. “She has done so much and given so much.”

Moore joked that she isn’t dead yet and still has more work to do.

“I have never been more proud to work for another organization than Stonewall Democrats of Dallas for everything that you guys do,” Moore said. “This means the world to me. Thank you all for all you do.”

Other award winners were:

• Harryette Ehrhardt Distinguished Democrat: Tonya Parker;

• Buck Massey Member of the Year: Dub Windsor;

• Ally of the Year: Hunky’s Hamburgers; and

• Christy Kinsler Board Member of the Year: Pauline Bourqui.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 7, 2012.